Over the last few years, ‘Nationalism’ and being a ‘Nationalist’ have become the target of those who wish to outlaw any sense of pride in one’s own nation and people …. and are rapidly heading toward being included on the ever-increasing list of ‘Dirty Words’ that are silently and slowly being erased from this nations history.

As a Welshman, and a nationalist, I not only find that particularly irksome, but also greatly offensive.

I could also present a valid argument that the concept of ‘Nationalist Pride’, first emerged in Wales among the feisty and proud men and women who lived there, and came about following the last invasion of these islands by a hostile and ‘Foreign’ nation.

For those of you who are not familiar with the story, I will take you back to the evening of the 22nd February 1797, where a Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Knox was at a dance at Tregwynt Mansion near the town of Fishguard, when a messenger arrived with terrible news.

In a secluded bay close to the town, the French were landing.

By dawn the following morning, the invading force numbered upwards of 1000 men, who were heavily armed with artillery, rifles and grenades, and it quickly became plain to those who witnessed the event, that an invasion of mainland Britain had indeed begun.

The invasion of Wales was originally going to be a diversionary tactic to draw attention away from a planned, simultaneous invasion of Ireland, which went ahead despite the abject failure of the foray into Ireland, and was the brainchild of a French revolutionary general, named Lazare Hoche.

On paper, the plan must have looked good for the attempt to have even been undertaken, but like many of the best laid plans throughout history, it had not taken into account how those who had been selected to undertake the task, would actually perform when called upon.

The commander of the invasionary force was an Irish-American veteran, a Colonel William Tate, who had also been tasked with stirring up nationalist feeling amongst the Welsh, who it was hoped would join them and march on Bristol.

What Tate hadn’t envisioned, however, was that many of his men – comprised of mainly conscripted criminals – had gotten blind drunk after finding the wine that had been stockpiled in the local farmhouses after a Portuguese merchant ship had been wrecked nearby, a few weeks previously.

What he also hadn’t counted on, was that the Welsh population (including local Yeomanry) were not only not going to join him and his men, but were understandably, extremely hostile, and by the 24th, Tate was forced to lead his men to Goodwick Sands, where they surrendered and threw down their weapons.

*The Pembrokeshire Yeomanry are still the only British Military regiment who hold a battle honour for an engagement on domestic soil*

It was this failed invasion that led to the setting up of volunteer defence groups, across the whole of Wales and beyond, who pledged to defend and protect king and country in the face of further invasions – and adds considerable weight to the argument, that the concept of a British identity, and what has come to be known as ‘British Nationalism’ first emerged in that small coastal town in the south west of Wales, well over 200 years ago.

What is Nationalism? I found a comprehensive essay on the subject here: LINK

These are excerpts from it which, for me, sum it up quite well.

“Classical nationalism is the political program that sees the creation and maintenance of a fully sovereign state owned by a given ethno-national group (“people” or “nation”) as a primary duty of each member of the group. Starting from the assumption that the appropriate (or “natural”) unit of culture is an ethno-nation, it claims that a primary duty of each member is to abide by one’s recognizably ethno-national culture in all cultural matters.”

“Classical nationalists are usually vigilant about the kind of culture they protect and promote and about the kind of attitude people have to their nation-state.”

“Nationalism in a wider sense is any complex of attitudes, claims and directives for action ascribing a fundamental political, moral and cultural value to nation and nationality and deriving obligations (for individual members of the nation, and for any involved third parties, individual or collective) from this ascribed value.”

“Nationalist claims featuring the nation as central to political action must answer two crucial general questions.

First, is there one kind of large social group (smaller than the whole of mankind) that is of special moral importance?

The nationalist answer is that there is just one, namely, the nation.

When an ultimate choice is to be made, the nation has priority. Second, what are the grounds for an individual’s obligations to the morally central group?

Are they based on voluntary or involuntary membership in the group?

The typical contemporary nationalist thinker opts for the latter, while admitting that voluntary endorsement of one’s national identity is a morally important achievement.”

Probably a tad embarrassing for his good friend Simon Cowell maybe? Especially considering MWT’s involvement with him these days and MWT’s involvement with …
😀
How is MWT’s very good pet mutley Ronald the Dog these days by the way? Has the vet put him out of everyones misery?

OG
Re. McCain brain surgery.
I have a neighbour in her late seventies who recently had a brain tumour removed. Because of a pre-existing heart problem, she could not have a general anaesthetic. She was fully conscious throughout, including the use of the holesaw on her skull, and answering questions from the surgeon working on her from the other side of a curtain. She was up and about in a matter of days and the only discomfort she felt was the pain from the skin graft removal site on her leg!

‘As a Welshman, and a nationalist, I not only find that particularly irksome, but also greatly offensive.’

So you are a Welshman and a nationalist – but a British nationalist and not a Welsh nationalist?

Just goes to show it all depends on perspective…in Ireland, or at least in the nationalist parts of it, we are brought up to believe that the ‘Year of the French’ – 1798 (Wolfe Tone, Robert Emmet) – was the first Irish nationalist uprising in recent history, though mind you from dimly remembered history lessons, we were also taught that the Flight of the Earls was an inspiration for the likes of Tone.

Personally however I believe that Irish nationalism goes back many hundreds and indeed thousands of years even before the Flight of the Earls.

I think you are right there. As our separate denominations English, Welsh, Scottish & Irish it is perfectly fine to be proud of our separate identities.
But when it matters in defending our country as a whole, we should all stand together as one.

Having said that, I’m not proud of some of the terrible acts carried out by the English, but these things are seldom sanctioned by honest decent people,with the peoples best interests at heart, acts of evil that are often forced or manipulated by complete deception and lies by Politicians. And quite often by people whose true heritage isn’t British at all, those who hide behind their adopted nationality to wreak havoc in our countries name.

I see politicians as the true enemy of our country as a whole. They are after all the ones who say yes to mass murders across the world mostly under false pretences.

I think we need to dispense with the political party claptrap, have a PM who is a figurehead only without the powers to rob us blind and enact fake terrorist attacks to amp us all up for more wars for dubious reasons and to employ staff to do the jobs as mere Civil Servants under exactly the same conditions as the rest of us are. Best women/man for the job with a checkable proven track record to back up their employment.

Think we all know the entire system is rotten to the core and nothing will ever change under the current system that doesn’t work for us, but works exceptionally well for bent, greedy politicians & their private company owning business buddies. Those are the only kind I’ve ever witnesses my entire life so far. Don’t see that ever changing either, unless the people stand up and make it change.

Siphoning off our money to their bent banker mates and for such farces as HS2. And no way for US, their employers (yeah right, how funny is that?) being able to stop them doing it.

‘The Welsh esteem noble birth and generous descent above all things, and are, therefore, more desirous of marrying into noble than rich families. Even the common people retain their genealogy, and can not only readily recount the names of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers, but even refer back to the sixth or seventh generation, or beyond them, in this manner: Rhys, son of Gruffydd, son of Rhys, son of Tewdwr, son of Eineon, son of Owen, son of Howel, son of Cadell, son of Roderic Mawr, and so on. Being particularly attached to family descent, they revenge with vehemence the injuries which may tend to the disgrace of their blood; and being naturally of a vindictive and passionate disposition, they are ever ready to avenge not only recent but ancient affronts; they neither inhabit towns, villages, nor castles, but lead a solitary life in the woods, on the borders of which they do not erect sumptuous palaces, nor lofty stone buildings, but content themselves with small huts made of the boughs of trees twisted together, constructed with little labour and expense, and sufficient to endure throughout the year.’ – From ‘The Description of Wales’ by Gerald Cambrensis 1183

This is the update from the families who are fighting to get war criminal, mass murderer Tony Blair to court, where we all know he should be.

Update on CHILCOT INQUIRY – ANSWER FOR IRAQ

Dear Friends and Supporters
Following yesterday’s news (see above link for the Telegraph) that state officials cannot be criminally prosecuted for the crime of aggression, we wished to update you on our position.

As you know, for the past year, our legal team has worked painstakingly on the factual and legal implications of the Iraq Inquiry Report. Today’s judgment on the case brought by General Abdul Wahed Shannan Al Rabbat is an inescapably important decision concerning the limits of the domestic criminal law as it currently stands. Our focus has been the potential for civil proceedings and we are in the process of concluding whether, or not, a different opportunity could arise to bring this matter before the courts in that regard. Whatever the outcome, it is important for those who lost loved ones and the general public to appreciate the extent to which our present constitutional arrangements may or may not allow for legal redress where it is, at least arguable, that a war was started – and many lives were lost – in circumstances that were contrary to international law.

With thanks for your continued support.

Roger Bacon and Reg Keys, on behalf of the Iraq War Families Campaign Group

I sincerely hope the Legal Team working for the families manage to haul his evil ass to court yet. Fingers crossed folks!